Most Requested Topics: The Art of the Business Lunch ~ Building Relationships Between 12 and 2 Personalizing your business can be the key to achieving unparalleled success. It’s no surprise that people prefer to do business with people they like. Whether an organization is looking to improve customer service, increase sales or meet escalating goals and quotas, the lessons in “The Art of the Business Lunch” will motivate any sales team and teach them the importance of building solid business relationships. When sales teams and executives learn the right way to socialize with their clients and how to make them feel important, respected and valued, those clients will respond by choosing to work with that person and their company time and time again. The “Special” Secret of Sales Success Increasing Sales and Creating Ultimate Relationships ~ The Keys to Outstanding Customer Service   Most people in business today feel overwhelmed and underappreciated. Less than 2% of the work force is ever made to feel “special.” When salespeople and executives learn how to differentiate themselves from all of the other people their clients deal with every day, they will create “Ultimate” business relationships. An “Ultimate” relationship will bring greater sales, more business, more referrals and an increase in overall success.   When we take our customers by the hand and ask them questions about what they really want and need, we work to make a true connection with them. Then, when we knowingly fulfill their needs, customer satisfaction is mightily impacted and sales soar.  There are many facets to outstanding customer service – including customer retention, win/win negotiations, value selling, effective listening, cold calling and thorough follow up. The Art of Business Protocol & Etiquette   “The Art of Business Protocol & Etiquette” is the answer to an HR Director’s dream!  In today’s workplace, running a tight ship sometimes has to take a back seat to political correctness. This program will teach Supervisors, Directors and Team Leaders how to communicate their needs effectively and within the parameters of correct behavior.   This program can also be taught directly to employees as a means of inspiring them to perform to the best of their ability and within the guidelines of modern business protocol. Travels from: Las Vegas, NV Speakers Fee:  Please Inquire Speaker Information The Queen of the Business Lunch Robin Jay worked as an Advertising Account Manager more than 18 years. She experienced a 2000% increase in sales in her career, largely because of her ability to build strong, long-lasting relationships. Robin found that bringing a social situation, particularly lunch, into business relationships works to bond client and salesperson. She attributes her proven track record to applying the lessons she learned during her vast experience courting clients. Robin has been on more than 3,000 client lunches, which is why her clients named her “The Queen of the Business Lunch”! Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Ms. Jay has lived in Las Vegas, Nevada for the past 31 years. This surreal environment gives her a different and amusing perspective on business. Robin Jay is a past President of Las Vegas Women in Communications, and has served on the Board of Directors for several organizations including the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation (JDF) and The Advertising Community Talent Show (ACTS). She has written articles for What's On Magazine, a Las Vegas visitor publication, and has also written ad copy for such clients as the MGM Grand Hotel and the Sahara Hotel & Casino. She has been awarded the WIC Electronic Media Award for Radio Account Executive of the Year. Ms. Jay enjoys playing golf, singing, working in her garden, and is a gourmet cook. She lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with her dog Georgie. The Art Of The Business Lunch (Business Basics) Forbes.com Published 09/05/06 By Tara weiss If you think eating lunch at your desk day in and day out builds your rep as an industrious employee or manager, think again. Keeping your nose to the grindstone may actually be costing you money and career advancement. Dean Olinger knows the value of a good working lunch. As the owner of Wireless Giant, which sells mobile phones, plans and accessories in Sarasota, Fla., he's made a point of attending the local chamber of commerce's weekly lunch. The result: an average of ten phone activations per month, all as a result of chewing and chatting with other business owners. "You might as well go someplace where you know you'll meet people and do some business," says Olinger. "We advertise on television and in local papers, but nothing substitutes for face-to-face interaction." Whether you're taking a client out for lunch, attending a trade association or city-sponsored networking event or dining with colleagues, leaving your desk for lunch can boost business. "Breaking bread breaks barriers," says Robin Jay, author of The Art of the Business Lunch: Building Relationships Between 12 and 2. We're a country of people known for not taking all of our vacation time. But that's not always a good thing. We spend so much time on the phone and corresponding via e-mail; lunch gives you the opportunity to expand your contacts and learn things about potential clients that can help you in the future. Think of it as an investment. You'll lose about 90 minutes during the workday, but it's worth it to connect with a new client. Olinger doesn't usually walk away with a signed deal, but the people he meets weekly call him if they're looking to sign up their employees for a new phone package. When he meets a new person who asks what he does, he has a 30-second informal introduction prepared. The gist is that he runs a family-owned business that offers personal attention to detail. The art of the lunch will require some small talk. Unless you're signing a deal, keep the conversation light. Talk about industry trends. It's also a good idea to ask your lunch guest about himself. It will show your interest in him and his business, says Jay, who used to employ such techniques in her previous career as a radio ad sales exec. Her sales increased by more than 2,000%, she says: "My clients started calling me 'the queen of the business lunch.'" She recommends picking a place with lots of options and a waitstaff that knows when to leave you alone. The Palm, a national chain of upscale restaurants, is one of her favorites, since it's consistent and the service is right-on. Bruce Bozzi Jr., the executive vice president of Palm Management, says the waitstaff are trained to recognize when people are engaged in a lunch meeting. "If there are papers on the table, don't go up," he tells his staff. A final tip: A business lunch is a little like going on a first date. Don't order anything too messy or difficult to maneuver. You're not there to eat. You're there to make money or advance your career. If you leave hungry, there's always a Taco Bell around the corner.